Moving comb type seed gatherer



May 23, 1950 T. E. KIRK MOVING COMB TYPE SEED GATHERER v5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 22, 194.5

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May 23, 1950 T. E. KIRK MOVING COME TYPE SEED GATHERER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1945 NVIENTOR.

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May 23, 1950 T E. KIRK MOVING COME TYPE SEED GATHERER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 22, 1945 Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED .STATES `ATENT OFFICE [2,508,401 'MOVING @OMB TYPE SEED GATHEREB Thomas E. Kirk, Waitsburg, Wash. Application August 22, 1945,. Serial No. 612.4100

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'The invention relates to improvements in harvesting machines especially adapted for lharvesting Yor picking Vobjects such as pea `pods or the like, which is of simple construction and highly eflicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists ofthe combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will be best understood by reftaken through a harvesting member employed in the construction;

Fig. 4, a side view of a conveyor employed in the construction; and

Fig. 5, a horizontal section taken substantially on the line -5 of Fig. 4.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a vehicle body o1' frame ID mounted to travel upon suitable wheels II, said wheels being carried by an axle I2 having bearings at each end in blocks I3, which are vertically adjustable in brackets I4 secured to the side bars of the body Ill, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. As will be readily understood, this mounting of the wheels II permits of vertical adjustments of the vehicle body I0 with reference to the ground over which the vehicle is propelled in the harvesting operation.

The frame member Ill comprises a pair of sill members I 0a arranged in spaced and parallel relation and supported by an axle shaft I2 adjacent its rearward end which is carried by a pair of tread wheels II arranged between said sill members Ia, as best shown in Figure 2. At the forward end of the frame I0 a rotatable harvesting member having bearing hubs 24 moveably mounted in desired position in the boxes or bearings II and held in set position by set screws IB. The boxes or bearings I'i are rigidly attached to the forwardly ends of the sill members Illa and serve to hold the frame Il! in operational alignment for the rotation of the harvesting member 23. The periphery 23a of the rotatable harvesting member 23 is provided with a plurality of pocket plates arranged in spaced relation leaving transverse slots 22a through which the ngers 22 carried by the picker bars 2I are adapted to reciprocate, as best shown in Figure 1.

The direction of 'rotation of the rotatable ha-rvesting member 23 in connection with the carn member I5 carried on the trunnions I6 and I6 within the said member 23 advances the finger 22 to progressively project into picking position and then to be progressively retracted allowing the pods gathered to drop onto the belt '28, operation means of which is not shown, and may be operated by such means as are convenient and practical, which is likewise true as to the operation of the transmission belt 25 which drives the xed pulley 25.

The pocket plates 30 have an S-s'haped profile, as best shown in Figure l, and are arranged in spaced relation to the one next adjoining at the periphery 23a, the intervening space being the transverse opening 22a. It is to be noted that the upper part of the lS-shaped pocket plate 3l) is bent into radial alignment forming a flange 3| upon which the fingers 22 are slidably arranged and that the lower part of the S-shaped pocket plate 3@ serves as a curved guide 32 for the upper side of the iingers 22.

A cam member I5 in the form of a stud shaft is provided, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with eccentric trunnions I5 and i6 which are mounted in boxes or bearings I'I at each side of the bodyr It and adjustably secured in said bearings by means of set screws I8. A plurality of pairs of rings or hubs I9 are rotatably mounted on the member I5 and carry radiating arms 20 which in turn carry picker bars 2| arranged as indicated around said member I5, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, there being six of the picker bars 2 I. Each picker bar 2l carries a plurality of parallel closely spaced picker ngers 22 arranged to reciprocate inwardly and outwardly through transverse slots 22a in the periphery 23a. of the rotatable harvesting member 23, said harvesting member 23 being provided with bearing hubs 24 at each end, which rotate freely on the trunnions I6 and I6', as best indicated in Fig. 3. A driving pulley 25 is secured to one end of the member '23, and a belt Z mounted on the fixed pulley 25 connected therewith for rotating the member 23 in the direction of the arrow 21a indicated in Fig. 1. A series of pockets 27 are provided in the periph-i ery of the member 23 between the sets of lingers 22, as indicated. In operation, the vehicle I0 is moved in the direction of the arrowY IIa on Fig. l. over a eld to be harvested, such as a eld of peas or the like. This will cause the iingers 22 to move forwardly and upwardly through the pea vines and will thereby strip the pea pods from the vines and deposit them in the pockets 21. When the lingers 22 reach their upper positions, they will be automatically withdrawn through the slots in the periphery of the member 23 to strip the pea pods therefrom andrpeimit discharge of said pods from the pockets 21 as said pockets pass over the center and downwardly on the inner or rear side of the member 23.

A conveyor 28 is arranged as shown on hangers 29, depending from the body l, to receive the pods thus discharged from the pockets 2T. As shown, the conveyor 28 extends laterally across the body I il and then upwardly and outwardly so as to discharge the harvested pods into av truck or other receptacle, as will be readily funderstood.

While I have illustrated and described the pre- -`ferred form of construction for carrying the in-v vention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as fall within the scope of the appended I claim:

1. In combination, a harvesting machine hav ing a vehicle body frame and axle mounted supporting wheels with vertical adjustment for said axle; and :a cylindrical rotatable member mounted transversely at the forward end of Said frame; a peripheral wall on said cylindrical rotatable member having inwardly extending curved plates forming a plurality of peripheral pockets; there being a, longitudinal slot between each of said pockets; a cam member in the form of a stud shaft having eccentric trunnion members mounted in a bearing at each side of said body frame; a plurality of pairs of hubs rotatably mounted one of each pair on each stud shaft; a

pair of radial arms each connected Vat their inner ends to a member of a selected pair of hubs and extending forwardly therefrom; a picker bar connested to both forward ends of said pair of said radial arms; a plurality of forwardly projecting picking fingers in spaced and parallel relation arranged and adapted to reciprocate inwardly and outwardly through a selected one of said longitudinal slots upon the rotation of said cylindrical member.

2. The construction specified in claim 1 in which the picking ngers have parallel side edges, there being a plurality of elongated slots between the plurality of picking fingers carried by said picker bar.

3. A pod picking harvesting device comprising a `supporting vehicle;v a cylindrical rotatable member having a plurality of evenly spaced longitudinal slots in the peripheral wall; cam means for reciprocating a plurality of picking ngers inwardly and outwardly through said longitudinal slots to strip pods from a growing plant; and container means arranged within the said peripheral wall to capture pods stripped from the growing plants.

THOMAS E. KIRK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

